L.A. Laker running deep in 2009 WSOP Main Event

Jordan Farmar is three years into his career as a guard for the Los Angeles Lakers but he's the ultimate rookie at the poker table.

Nonetheless, just weeks removed from winning an NBA championship with the Lakers, Farmar is finding success at the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

"I've never played online," he said. "I played one day before I came here. The day before I flew out to Vegas I went to the casino in L.A. and played just so I knew what was going on at the table."

"I got lucky early and now I'm starting to get the hang of it."

Farmar is faring pretty well, considering there aren't too many players in the field with the lack of experience he's working with.

The Lakers guard has been a popular player in the Amazon Room, drawing lots of attention from the ESPN camera crew and entertaining everyone in the vicinity.

"I don't know how to play!" said Farmar during a hand before the break, drawing laughs from everyone at the table.

Despite his naive table image, however, Farmar must know a little something about poker as it appears he's primed to survive into Day 3 of the Main Event.

"I know poker hands, I know what beats what, but I never sat down and played," Farmar said. "I didn't know what a small blind or a big blind was, none of that. I just learned."

Farmar has been a key part of the Lakers' resurgence on the basketball court in the last two years, and the popular point guard has been finding success ever since his days at UCLA, when he was considered one of the top college point guards in the nation.

With 160k in chips at the latest count, Farmar appears to be finding success at the poker tables as well.

While the Lakers do play cards on the road, Farmar has never been introduced to any form of poker until now.

"We play cards all the time," Farmar said. "Us on the Lakers don't play poker but a lot of teams do."

He's become a recognizable face everywhere thanks to his basketball profile, and Farmar has been asked for his time by spectators and press frequently throughout the day.

Despite all the attention, Farmar's been all smiles as his chip stack has grown.

"At first I was a little hesitant to make bets to call people, afraid to lose money," Farmar said.

"Once I started watching people play and getting the hang of it, how they bet, when they call people. Now I think I'm pretty good."

It's been a fantastic month for Farmar, who is now trying to follow up a basketball world championship with a deep run at the WSOP.

"I'm just lucky," Farmar said. "They invited me here to have a good time."

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